Monday, January 5, 2015

Motorists can expect major traffic delays along Vanderbilt Beach Road and other roadways in North Naples and Golden Gate on Saturday, Jan. 10, and Sunday, Jan. 11, while the HITS two-day triathlon series is underway.

The Collier County Sheriff’s Office advises motorists to plan their commutes accordingly. Motorists who are traveling north and south would be best advised to take Interstate 75, deputies say.

Deputies will be stationed both days at every controlled intersection along the entire stretch of Vanderbilt Beach Road, which could see delays as long as 35 minutes to 40 minutes.

On Saturday, the full and half triathlon bicycle race route will proceed from the Vanderbilt Beach turn-around at Gulf Shore Drive, east on Vanderbilt Beach Road to Collier Boulevard, north on Collier Boulevard to Immokalee Road. The cyclists will then proceed out to the eastern reaches of Collier County via Immokalee and Oil Well roads. This race will affect vehicle traffic along all of Vanderbilt Beach Road and the intersection of Collier Boulevard and Immokalee Road from approximately 7:30 a.m. until approximately 5 p.m.

On Sunday, the Sprint and Olympic triathlon bicycle race routes will proceed from the Vanderbilt Beach turnaround at Gulf Shore Drive, east on Vanderbilt Beach Road to Collier Boulevard, south on Collier Boulevard to Golden Gate Boulevard, and east to the final turnaround point near 23rd Street Southwest.

These two races on Sunday will have a significant impact on vehicle traffic and will cause substantial delays along all of Vanderbilt Beach Road and its intersecting streets from approximately 7:10 a.m. until approximately 11 a.m.